The Eupodoidea are reportedly represented in Australia and New Zealand (including their subantarctic islands) by 5 families, 14 genera, and 67 species (37 not identified to named species), as follows. Eriorhynchidae: Eriorhynchus -5 species; Eupodidae: Claveupodes -1, Cocceupodes -3, Eupodes -16, Linopodes -2; Penthaleidae: Chromotydaeus -1, Halotydeus -6, Linopenthalo ides -1, and Penthaleus -6; Penthalodidae: Penthalodes (generic determination need to be confirmed) -1, Stereotydeus -11; Rhagidiidae: Coccorhagidia -3, Poecilophysis -1, and Rhagidia -10. A checklist of all the reported species and a key to the 30 named species are provided.Keywords: Eupodoidea; Prostigmata; Acari; mites; Australia; New Zealand; subantarctic islands; key
INTRODUCTIONThe superfamily Eupodoidea (Acari: Prostigmata) currently includes six families: Eriorhynchidae, Eupodidae, Penthaleidae, Penthalodidae, Rhagidiidae and Strandtmanniidae. Members of first five families have been recorded from Australia and New Zealand, including the subantarctic Auckland Island, Campbell Island and Macquarie Island.Until 1994, no comprehensive systematic study of Eupodoidea had been undertaken in these countries, and early records were scattered in the literature (Womersley & Strandtmann 1963;Strandtmann 1964Strandtmann , 1981Zacharda 1980); and eupodoids were often listed as unidentified species (Wood 1964; Spain 1967;Styles 1967;Watson 1967;McMillan 1969;Luxton 1982aLuxton , 1982bLuxton , 1983aLuxton , 1983bMartin 1983). Further systematic research on the Eupodoidea in this region was stimulated by the work of Halliday (1991), who reviewed the taxonomic literature on the redlegged earth mite Halotydeus destructor (Tucker), an important pasture pest. He found that there was confusion about the identity of H. destructor and therefore initiated a programme to study it and its relatives. The results are published in Qin